The title of tonight’s blog is what my Mom called my Dad and I. We collect things, no Precious Moments, no Hummel’s, or God forbid clowns, but every scrap of wood, door hinge, nail, screw, door knob…you get the idea. Everything has a purpose, everything can be put to use. It’s not as if my Dad or I keep house like the hoarders you see on television, we are highly organized individuals. In my Dad’s basement workshop you will find old baby food jars and box after box of nails, screws, nuts and bolts, all sorted by size. My studio is much the same. Although I will say that my garage sorting is lacking, my Dad was very upset with us the last time he looked out there. Every time he would see me throw out an empty jar he would point out how I could be using it. I have already written about my litter obsession, I hate waste, sometimes something so ugly, or something that is headed for the garbage can be turned into something useful and beautiful. All it takes is a little elbow grease and imagination. We live in a throw away society, and I think that is so sad. Maybe that’s why I love antiques. Someone loved something, or appreciated something so much that they took care of it. Most of my family is in Ireland, I have few family heirlooms, having the treasures of someone else means something to me. The history of a piece means something to me. I like breathing new life into something that otherwise would be taking up space in a landfill. Tonight I don’t have a finished project to show for today, but rather the beginning of a project. My dear friend, Theresa has just finished remodeling her kitchen. Yesterday Theresa offered me her old cabinet door fronts. I’m thrilled. I already have a few finished pieces in my head, one of which I started today. I will post what I have begun, but also post a few pieces that I’ve worked on over the last few years. The next time you have a piece of furniture, an old wooden box, or anything that you think you are through with, take another look. Sometimes you will be amazed at what you’ll see.This was an old hall bench that a friend no longer wanted (thanks, Theresa), I took one look at the lines and thought baseball. It so happens that my new son-in-law is a NY Yankees fan. That Christmas he got this…I found an old silverware box at the thrift store…and my friend received this as a birthday gift.So today I began the process of turning my treasure of old cabinet doors into new things. Old door, new tricks! Stay tuned…